


secrets spilled

by teasockschocolate



Series: Carlwheeler Appreciation Week [3]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Better late than never?, F/M, drunk phillip, he just really loves anne, i posted this originially on tumblr a thousand years ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 06:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17017290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasockschocolate/pseuds/teasockschocolate
Summary: “Want to know a secret?” He rolled towards her and she winced at the smell the alcohol on his hot breath.She raised her head on her hand, smirking. “Sure.”“I’m gonna marry you.”Her heart stopped. “Oh?”





	secrets spilled

**Author's Note:**

> day 3 of carlwheeler week: “However big, however small, let me be part of it all” | Domestic life/fluff

The world was frosted with a thin coating of ice and snow. The streets that paved the way to the docks were deserted and dark. 

The circus was the only thing alive in all of New York.

The big top tent glowed as crowds poured out after the first Barnum and Carlyle Circus performance downtown. An excited buzz surrounded the crowd as children swung on fathers’ arms and tugged at mothers’ legs, begging to return for another show. 

Inside the tents, an even stronger layer of excitement and adrenaline radiated the cold night. The performers lingered long after the show was over, relishing in the post show high that came with the audience.

“Hey!” Lettie called over the chatter. “New show, new place, new ringmaster. I think we all deserve a drink!” 

Cheers followed the suggestion and the troupe scampered to their respective tents. They changed out of their costumes quickly, wiping off makeup and massaging now wigless scalps.

___

Anne winced as she pushed open the door to the pub a half an hour later. Beer was being slid down the bar, people were singing loudly and stomping their feet. The lightweights had their arms around each other, swaying and cheering as the rest raced to get to the same drunken state.

W.D. chucked as he came up behind her and took in the scene. 

“W.D.!” Constantine roared. “Get over here!” He held up a shot glass and gestured wildly.  
Anne raised an eyebrow at her brother and smirked. “Go on,”

“You’ll be okay?”

Anne rolled her eyes smiling. “I’ll be fine. Go have fun.”

Never one for drinking herself, she perched on a stool in a far corner, taking in the scene before her with amusement. Phillip came in soon after her, and a swell of cheers and glasses followed him as he found her and made his way over to her corner.

Walter slammed a large glass of beer on their table and slapped Phillip on the back. Phillip took the glass and raised it to him, but didn’t sip it.

“Oh, come on!” Walter cried. “Chug! Chug!”

The others quickly joined in, and Phillip eyed Anne nervously. She shrugged and waved him on. One celebratory glass among friends would be fine. She was wrong.

After the first beer had come a second, then a third, and then after several more, Phillip was in the middle of the crowd, cheering and dancing. Anne couldn’t help but smirk as his arms slung around Walter and Constantine, the three of them singing an old ballad about a fisherman.

She’d seen him sneak sips from a flask before, had found him slumped over his desk, and seen his eyes rimmed with hangover, but she’d never seen him drunk. She had no idea he was such a… reveler.

After a while, she became slightly worried for him, and weaved through the crowd.

“Anne!” His face lit up and he pulled her in a bear hug. “I missed you!”

“I just saw you.” She reminded him, biting back a laugh.

He didn’t seem to hear her and twirled her hair with his finger. “Wow,” He whispered in awe.  
He moved his hand to her face, caressing it before kissing her forehead. “You’re so pretty.”

“Thank you,”

“Like, wow. Always. When I first saw you I was like wow and now…” Phillip scrunched his brow, searching for more words. “Wow.”

She couldn’t help but laugh now, a flush tinging her cheeks. “You’re not bad yourself.”

“I love you.” He kissed her quickly and sloppily.

“Wha—“ Anne paled but he’d already stumbled away, calling out to Constantine.

She glanced around her to see if anyone else had heard, but everyone was rip roaring drunk. Her heart thumped in her chest. He’d said he loved her. Did he? A tiny part of her that been afraid he would get bored soon enough and move on. He was so drunk, she told herself, that he must not have really meant it. He just meant that he liked her.

__

Some time later, Phillip stumbled over to her again. “I’m tired,” He mumbled.

“You want to go home?”

He nodded, rubbing his face.

“Alright,” Anne hopped off her stool. “Can you walk okay?”

He nodded again but immediately tripped. In an instant she wrapped a steady arm around his waist, holding him upright. 

“Okay, I can’t carry you alone. I’m gonna find someone to help. You stay right here, okay?”

“Okay,” He leaned back on another stool.

After a quick lap around the bar, she found Lettie to be the most sober of the troupe and before too long they were standing outside Phillip’s apartment.

“Thanks, Lettie,” Anne sighed, shifting Phillip’s weight onto her as she unlocked the door with a key she found in his pocket.

“Good luck tomorrow morning, Carlyle,” Lettie laughed over her shoulder as she left.  
Phillip frowned. “What?”

“You had a lot to drink tonight, sir.” Anne helped him inside. “You’re going to be awfully hungover.”

Phillip shrugged and fell onto his bed. Anne helped him out of his coat and shoes before standing awkwardly at the edge of the bed. 

“See you,” She ran a hand through his hair once before turning to go. He caught her hand and pulled her back.

“Stay,” His eyes were cloudy. “Please.”

She exhaled, glancing around. She probably shouldn’t. W.D. would wonder why she didn’t come home and worry. But Phillip’s warm hand gave a gentle tug and she let him pull her down.

“Anne?” Phillip whispered into the dark after several minutes.

“Yeah?”

“Want to know a secret?” He rolled towards her and she winced at the smell the alcohol on his hot breath.

She raised her head on her hand, smirking. “Sure.”

“I’m gonna marry you.”

Her heart stopped. “Oh?”

“Well, I’m gonna ask you. Soon. We’ve got a big plan. But I can’t tell you.” He tried to tap her nose and poked in between her eyes instead. 

She hummed, not sure what to say. Her heart hammered in her chest faster than she’s ever felt it.

“Everyone knows about it. Except you. They’re gonna help me ask you.”

“Huh,” Was all she said, biting her lip nervously. 

“Are you gonna say yes?”

She hesitated. He was basically asking her to marry him now as he was stone cold drunk. Did he even mean it? Was the circus actually helping him plan a proposal?

“I hope you do.” He didn’t wait for an answer, absentmindedly babbling and playing with her hair. “You’re the most amazing person ever. You’re so… nice… and brave and pretty.” He searched for these words and she noted that his typical eloquence was lost with liquor. “I’ve loved you so much for so long.” There was enough of a slur to his words where she was sure he wouldn’t remember this in the morning, and she was sure she wouldn’t mention it.

He leaned over and kissed her, pulling away with a grin. “I wanted to kiss you for forever. And now I can kiss you whenever for forever. Wow.”

Anne kissed him once before lying back down. “You should go to sleep now.”

He yawned, stretching an arm out and pulling her tightly against his side. “I love you,” He mumbled again into her hair.

She waited until his breathing slowed to gentle rasps against the back of her neck before whispering “I love you, too.”


End file.
